This Vegan Banana Bread recipe requires simple ingredients and it's so easy to make! The flavor and texture will blow you away – it's soft, moist, and brimming with sweet banana flavor.
Preheat oven to 350 ° F (177 ° C). Line a Standard Loaf Pan (8. 5 x 4. 5) with parchment paper or lightly grease. (9X5 will work too).
Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. It will thicken and gel up (this creates a flax egg).
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas using a fork or potato masher. Now add the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and flax eggs. Whisk well to combine.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and fold with a spatula until just combined. Don't overwork the batter. The batter should be very thick. Gently fold in the chocolate chips or nuts.
Pour mixture into loaf pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips or nuts if desired. Place on the center rack in your oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (check in 3 places). Small crumbs are ok, just not wet batter.
Remove from oven and let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Let the loaf completely cool before cutting. Enjoy!
Notes
MEASURING FLOUR: For accurate results, don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup directly from the flour container. Instead, Aerate the flour first, then scoop the flour out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap the cup. After filling, lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour. FLAXSEED: If you only have whole flaxseed, you can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. You can also use chia seeds instead. SWEETENER: you can substitute the brown sugar and granulated for ½ cup maple syrup or agave. Note:liquid sweetener adds more moisture, so this will yield a moister consistency. If you want it sweeter, don't add more liquid sweetener, just add ¼ cup dry sweetener of choice.
You can use all brown sugar or all granulated sugar instead of a blend of the two. Coconut or date sugar will work too, but it won't taste as sweet.
BAKING TIME: start checking your loaf around the 45-minute mark. You don't want to over bake or it will get dry. The loaf will also continue to cook when it comes out of the oven. TEXTURE: this recipe yields a soft, moist and slightly dense loaf with lots of banana flavor. I prefer it this way, but if you want a cakier texture, add ¼ cup more all-purpose flour to the recipe. Add a splash of water if the batter is too dry. STORING: you can store it at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. It freezes really well for 4-5 months.